62 Western Live-stock Management 



cannot be expected as on alfalfa. The calves, when 

 isolated in a corral, will be weaned before the winter is 

 over, but should be left in the feed-lot until the grass 

 conies. If the number is large enough to divide, the 

 heifers and steers may be separated, and the steer calves 

 fed the larger and better rations. There is little danger 

 that steers will not pay for all the hay they will eat the 

 first winter, but heifers must be handled with more econ- 

 omy. When fall calves are raised, they need not be 

 weaned until about ten months old. This long sucking 

 period is the advantage of the fall calf besides the fact 

 that he can be weaned on pasture instead of dry hay. 



CASTRATION 



Castration is usually performed somewhere between 

 the ages of one and five months. Generally speaking, 

 the earlier the better after the calves are strong and 

 vigorous. After the age of five months, the sexual char- 

 acters begin to develop and the animal will have a staggy 

 appearance. The better the calves are fed, the earlier 

 they must be castrated to avoid all danger of stagginess. 

 Castration of calves is performed by two methods; cut- 

 ting vertical slits in the front of the bag or scrotum to 

 take out the testicles or cutting off the entire lower end 

 of the scrotum. Some buyers of steers judge the con- 

 dition of the animal by the size and filling of the "cod" 

 or "purse" (the scrotum after the testicles are removed). 

 Many cattle-men, therefore, object to cutting off the end 

 of the scrotum, since it makes the cod appear smaller. 

 But others prefer this method since it guarantees perfect 

 drainage of the wound and easy healing. In the other 

 method, perfect drainage may be obtained by taking 



